3 Tools for Team Development

High-functioning teams are at the heart of any successful organization. Yet getting there can feel elusive. Different personalities, thinking styles, and personal strengths can sometimes bring out conflict in people. But every individual has unique talents and passions to bring to the table if you know how to identify and develop them.

How do you crack the team development nut? We suggest starting with the end in mind and building to that goal. That means clarifying where you want to be as a team, understanding where you are, and identifying the ways you will need to develop to get there.

We rely on the following resources in our work with teams, and think you might find them useful.

Let’s start with understanding the stages of team development. Judith Stein at MIT walks us through the feelings, behaviors, and tasks of each team development stage. She also includes guidance on how to navigate difficulties, stay focused, build and maintain trust, and move through to the next stage.

Patrick Lencioni, leader of The Table Group, a leadership consulting firm has published a wealth of resources for developing high-performing teams, including a comprehensive online team assessment. Check out this free Team Effectiveness Exercise, which you and your people can do in less than 2 hours.

A team is basically a small tribe: a group with affinities, connections, and similar interests. In this video, David Logan, co-author of Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization, talks about how we can understand our human tribal tendencies to identify our core values, be more innovative, build human connections, and succeed in areas where they otherwise couldn’t have.

We hope these resources inspire you to take a fresh look at your team and how you can work together proactively to build your capacities and achieve your collective goals. And get in touch with us if you’d like to find out more about how our trainings, coaching, and facilitated sessions have developed stronger teams at companies such as Whole Foods Market, ConsenSys and, Cirrus Logic.

Wishing you well in developing the team of your dreams,
Roni Krouzman and The People Piece team
We develop great leaders, managers, and teams

PS: Read our recent blog post to help you rethink employee development and make the best of the high-performing people already on your team.